The Labour Party has called on the federal government to focus on improving the welfare of Nigerians following recent stampedes that resulted in fatalities across the country.
The National Secretary of the Labour Party, Umar Farouk Ibrahim, made the statement in response to recent stampedes in Oyo, Anambra, and the Federal Capital Territory, which claimed the lives of over 50 people, including children, during the distribution of end-of-year palliatives.
In a statement issued on Monday, Ibrahim emphasized that Nigerians are being pushed into risky situations due to the rising cost of living.
He explained that hunger and poverty are driving people to extreme measures, and that these factors, along with inflation and poor economic management, have intensified the suffering of millions.
Ibrahim further stated that the economic reforms under the Tinubu administration have worsened the hardship experienced by many Nigerians. He pointed out that hunger has become a widespread issue, affecting the ability of many to survive, and that the government’s focus should shift to addressing the welfare of its citizens.
The LP National Secretary also criticized the government’s failure to take substantial action to combat the hunger crisis and alleviate poverty. He urged the administration to take immediate steps to address these pressing challenges.
“The bottom line is that there is hunger in the land. It is only poverty that made some Nigerians go scooping fuel from accident scenes, resulting in an inferno that brought about hundreds of casualties.
“This happened on several occasions in the last year.
“One major reason why people resort to crime is due to hunger. Nigerians in their millions have been subjected to hunger arising from other reasons such as rising inflation and poor economic management.
“The economic reforms of the Tinubu administration have caused untold hardship to Nigerians. Hunger is turning into an epidemic, and not many people can survive this situation,” he said.
